Updates from the world's leading classical music label
October 27 marks five anniversaries—three births, two deaths—of four composers and a musicologist, so we’ll tune in to examples of their output, some of which may be familiar, others less so. It would be remiss, however, to begin without mentioning that October 27 also marks Black Cat Appreciation Day in the UK. The occasion attempts Read More …
The account of the birth of Christianity as depicted through the life of Jesus some 2,000 years ago has been celebrated for centuries through masterpieces of the Western European classical music tradition. Formats include the Passion, the Stabat Mater and the Requiem Mass. Music-lovers will have their own favourites and, no doubt, the CDs to Read More …
A few weeks ago we looked at the capability of instruments to make a variety of changes to their usual timbre. We examined the history of pizzicato and col legno, just a couple of tools in the string department’s box of tricks. String instruments have arguably the greatest range of alternative voices, but they are Read More …
I’ve often debated the value of performance DVDs over recordings. Obviously, in many areas, especially opera, video recordings are invaluable documents. Since production values are intrinsic to so many operas today, unless you are lucky enough to be there, a DVD performance may be the only way to experience the entire production—not just the singing. Read More …
